Fabric band



March 2, 1937. c BUSCH ET AL 2,072,542.

FABRI C BAND Original Filed March 13. 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fl E- -l- Fl [3- -E- INVENTORS':

March 2, 1937. I c, J, usc ET AL 2,072,542

FABRIC BAND Original Filed March 15, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl E- -51.. F1. E- .QL

ENTORS March 2, 1937.

INVENTORSZ March 2, 1937. c. J. BUSCH-ET AL 2,072,542

FABRIC BAND v Original Filed March 13, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 a A TTORNE Fatented Mar. 2, 1937 FABRIC BAND Conrad J. Busch, Wyomissing, and Otto Eugene Huber, Reading, Pa., assignors to The Narrow Fabric Company, West Reading, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application March 13, 1936, Serial No. 68,702. Divided and this application May 27, 1936, Serial No. 81,992

3 Claims. (01. 66-172) This invention relates to improvements in fabric bands, and particularly to a novel marginal construction which facilitates the attachment of the band by sewing and the use of a novel seam arrangement in conjunction therewith. This approviding seaming zones between the strands, adapted for sewing the band to the fabric with a multiple needle machine the needles of which are spaced relative to the longitudinal strands so that each needle is located between two strands and produces on the face of the fabric a line of stitches located in a seaming zone. With this arrangement the seams are inconspicuous on the face of the band, as they lie in depressed portions between the longitudinal strands. The seams are alignment of such margins; but the longitudinal plication is a division of application No. 68,702 preferably crossed and interlooped at the rear of 6 filed March 13, 1936. The invention is particuthe fabric in any of the various Ways well known larly pplicable to narrow fabrics such as tapes in the sewing machine art to provide an elastic or bands provided with longitudinal ridges which composite seam which overlies the fabric, proy be formed y h avy l n itudina st ands. a viding a firm support that is particularly advan- 10 construction generally p oy d i e t c bends tageous for sheer stockings, permitting full elasin which the longitudinal. strands are composed ticity of th band at the margin, and forming a of rubber other t c materialneat binding for the fabric on the reverse side. Tapes bands Of this yp are eq y These features are especially desirable in the h d to the mar in of arti les of wearin a manufacture of stockings, where neat appear- Parel to form an edging, One p p l embodiment ance, strength and elasticity are of prime imbeing the elastic garter band attached to the top portance of a knitted stocking. Althoug Va meth- A further feature of the invention is the avoid- Ode f attachment hav n proposed, there are ance of thickening due to the superposition of the definite advantages in ng the band to the g margin of the band upon the margin of the gar- 2o ment fabric, including Particularly convenience ment fabric. This is in general accomplished by and speed; but heretofore there have been ceremploying a band which is provided with min practical difficulties which have detracted stantially thinner marginal zone including longi- 0111 the effectiveness and accuracy of the Sewing tudinal strands and extending across the area Operation that is superposed upon the margin of the fabric 25 One difliculty arises when the band includes by Sewing. This thinner marginal zone may be longitudinal strands of rubber. In a band of this produced by employing fighter threads in formtype some of the rubber Strands must be located ing such zone; and a feature of the invention is in the marginal portion of the band to assure the determination of the fact that the incoruniform expansion and contraction; but this 10- pomtion f Such threads t form a. zone of the cation Tenders them especially liable to be cut type indicated is particularly feasible when the when sewing the marginal portion to the garment band is produced either by braiding or by warp fabric. This difliculty is increased whenthe band knitting The invention l d 3,15 certain is constructed of relatively loose material, such Specific constructions and methods f manufacas certain desirable types of braided and Warp ture involved in the incdrporation of such threads knit bands; and there is a further complication in bands f these types When the garment fabric to which the band is When the band is of relatively loose constructached consists of readily distorted material, tion, as is frequently desimme t produce popular Such as knitted material and especially the Sheer ornamental effects, the transverse threads have a knitted fabric of which Fstockings are usually tendency to slide along the longitudinal elastic 4o maclcstrands and become bunched and distorted, par- The general purpose 0f invention 18 t0 plO- ticula rly near the margin producing an undesir. vide an arrangement whereby the marginal -porable appearance d uneven support for the 1 tion of a band or the like provided with relatively t Shanda The arrangement above described d5 heavy ngitudinal ridges or strands may be eliminates this dimculty, as the seams hold the 5 ewe t fabric rapidly, accurately and Without transverse strands longitudinally in place. sewing into or across such strands. This is in The properly spaced longitudinal strands dg nera a m l s d y p -a and or the jacent to the margin likewise serve to guide and like in which the longitudinal strands are 10- align the seam. They may be utilized in connec- 5 cated at predetermined intervals from the edge, tic-n with guides usually employed in maintaining strands have a further guiding effect through the 1 action of the needles themselves, the sloping; points above which tend to shift laterally a longitudinal strand which has come too close to the needle, so that the seam tends to register itself between the adjacent parallel strands. 'This is particularly effective where a plurality of parallel seams are sewed between parallel strands by a multiple needle machine as above indicated.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide an elastic band adapted for attachment by sewing to an expansible garment margin arranged so that the band will have substantially uniform longitudinal expansion and tension throughout its width. Bands of this type have heretofore been constructed and attached in such manner that certain portions thereof were less extensible, particularly along the line of the seam; and the result was an objectionable constriction of the band against the wearer along the line of the less extensible portion. This defect is eliminated according to'the present invention by employing a band having uniform longitudinal extensibility throughout its width, and attaching it by a seam sumciently expansible to permit full and free stretching of the portion of the band engaged by the seam.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which Fig. 1 is a face view of a braided elastic band attached to the margin of a relatively sheer garment fabric;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a warp knit elastic band; I

Fig. 3 is a face view of a braided elastic band attached to the top of a knitted stocking to form a garter selvedge therefor;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing the attaching zone with finer threads incorporated in the attaching zone of the elastic band;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 in which standard size threads are employed in the attaching zone:

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the fabric and band at the attaching zone with the needles and associated parts of a sewing machine in position for sewing the band to the garment fabric;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of a method of braiding an elastic band such as that shown in Figs. 1 and 3, with the central portion omitted;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a method of manufacture of a warp knit elastic band such as that shown in Fig. 2, the central portion being omitted; and

Fig. 9 illustrates diagrammatically a suitable compound seam.

Considering first the braided band I, shown in Figs. 1 and 4, it includes a lower marginal zone II in which four longitudinal strands l2 are incorporated, which are connected by transverse strands indicated generally at l3. This construction produces a plurality of longitudinal ridges corresponding to the location of strands I2, and a plurality of substantially thinner zones intermediate the ridges which constitute the seaming zones I4. These zones are spaced in conformity with the spacing of the needles of a cooperating multiple needle sewing machine so that the seams produced thereby will be accurately located between longitudinal strands l2.

This arrangement is shown best in. Fig. 6, in which the strands I! are located at the sides of needles l5 and overlie the upper margin of the stocking fabric l6 resting on the bed-plate ll of the machine and held in position thereon by presser foot l8. By the employment of well known suitable guiding arrangements the general relationship between fabric l6 and the marginal zone ll of band l may be readily maintained; and the spacing of longitudinal strands l2, in conjunction with the tendency of the needle points to push the larger strands away from the seams, will serve to restrict the seams to the zones l4 and prevent sewing across strands i2. When the latter are constructed of rubber they are readily cut when penetrated by the needles, seriously detracting from the elasticity of the band Hi.

It is especially advantageous to employ a seam in which the threads carried by the various needles are interlooped or cross-connected below fabric l6 to produce an elastic seam, various seams of this type being well known. Anarrangement of this type is indicated diagrammatically in Figs. 4, 5, and 9 in which the face seams ill have the appearance of ordinary seams but are transversely connected at 20 beneath the fabric I6. One type of compound seam structure suitable for the purpose is illustrated in Fig. 9. It includes three needle threads and three looper threads, and can be produced by three-needle sewing machines of a standard type. Seams l9 are formed by needle threads 43, 46 and 49 the stitches 44, 41 and 50 of which are located between longitudinal warp strands l2 or 28 and serve to maintain the weft strands 13 or 30 in position on the warp strands. The looper threads 52, 53, and 54 engage loops 45, 48, and of the needle threads to form an elastic seam.

Under certain circumstances it is advantageous to reduce the excess thickness of the overlapping sewed portions of band l0 and fabric 16, which may be accomplished by employing a relatively thinner marginal zone II on band ID. This may be produced by forming such zone from finer threads. A method of making a braided band In having these characteristics is shown in detail in Fig. 7. In this illustrative embodiment the band includes a first marginal zone ll (shown at the lower edge in Figs. 1, 3, and 4) which is solidly braided, including four longitudinal elastic strands [2; a central zone including longitudinal elastic strands 2|, the central portion of which duplicates the remainder thereof as shown in Fig. 1, and is therefore omitted from the illustration; and a second margin including four longitudinal elastic strands 22. The elastic strands are interconnected by transverse strands 23 extending back and forth across selected portions of the central zone and a second margin of the band l0 and by transverse strands 24, preferably finer than strands 23, traversing the first marginal zone II and extending around the elastic strands i2. The transverse strands 23 and 24 are preferably inelastic.

The pattern employed is subject to extensive variations as will be apparent to those skilled in this art. In the particular pattern shown in Fig. '7 the spindles are indicated generally at 25 and the tellers or quoits at 26, with the path of the strand carried by each spindle 25 indicated diagrammatically in the usual manner, the travel of each spindle 25 around a teller or tellers 26 being controlled in the ordinary way by jacquard mechanism. It will be noted that the elastic strands l2 retain the same general location and will be straight in the finished braid; while the finer transverse strands 24 interbraid strands l2 with each other and are marginally interbraided with. selected transverse strands 23 to preserve the continuity of the braid.

Another type of band adapted for use in connection with this invention is the warp knit type illustrated generally at 21 in Fig. 2. It is provided with similar longitudinal elastic strands 28 in the first marginal zone I la, transversely connected by finer strands to produce seaming zones as already described. One method of producing a braid of this type is illustrated in Fig. 8, which shows diagrammatically an arrangement applicable to a warp knitting or Raschel machine of the well known type. The specific band illustrated is produced by feeding the main longitudinal or warp strands downwardly to a single bank of needles, knitting a weft thread around each warp strand,

,and connecting the weft threads transversely to form a band. In the preferred form the warp strands are elastic and the weft threads in the marginal zone Ila, may be of substantially finer size to provide a thinner marginal zone.

In the arrangement shown, the weft threads which wrap the longitudinal strands are carried by the first finger bar 29, and include the finer weft threads 30 which wrap the strands 28 in the first marginal zone H a (shown at the lower edge in Fig. 2) as well as the remaining weft threads 3| the size of which is determined by the pattern, and which wrap the remaining longitudinal strands 32. The longitudinal strands 28 and 32 are carried by the fourth finger bar 33. Intermediate strands are provided for interlocking adjacent wrapping weft threads. Certain of the interlocking strands in the form illustrated extend in a zigzag path between the wrapping weft threads of the marginal portions and interlock all contiguous loops of the wrapping weft threads. These continuous interlocking threads are carried by the third finger bar 34, and include the continuous interlocking threads 35 for the outer margin which engage strands 3|, and preferably finer continuous interlocking threads 36 engaging the wrapping strands 3|) in the marginal zone I I. The intermediate portion of the band may be patterned by providing suitable spaces or openings, a convenient arrangement including interlocking threads 3'! on the second finger bar 38 which connect spaced loops of adjacent wrapping weft threads 3| to form a suitably patterned structure. The construction and arrangement is such that each wrapping weft thread 30 and 3| is connected to each adjacent wrapping weft thread by an interlocking thread 35, 36, or 31 forming a continuous band structure. The central'portion of the band is omitted as it includes simply a repetition of the adjacent portions, as will be evident from Fig. 2.

A novel margin structure has been provided along the upper edge of the band 21. It includes a special edging strand 39 carried by the fifth finger bar 40. Strand 39 is arranged to form a series of free loops 4| interlocked at-their inner bights 42 with one or more of the wrapping weft threads 3|. This is accomplished by wrapping strand 39 around an idle needle to form the free outer bight of each loop 4|, and interlocking the inner bight 42 with a weft thread 3| by bringing strand 39 across into locking position in the usual manner. This interlocking may take place at desired intervals as determined by the usual pattern mechanism to provide loops 4| of any preferred length. The interlocked bights 42 of such loops 4| may also be carried across the needles into position to be interlocked by more than one of the wrapping weft strands 3|, as shown, providing a firmer anchorage for the marginal loops.

The specific embodiment of warp knitted braid which has been illustrated and described is adapted to be manufactured by the use of a single bank of needles. The bars are mentioned in order as they appear from the fabric side of the needles; and may be manipulated by the pattern mechanism in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art by shogging the first bar at the loop side of the needles, and appropriately shogging the remaining bars at the fabric side. will be apparent from a study of the relative positions of the various threads and strands as shown in Fig. 8.

It will be noted that both the braided band l and the warp knit band 21 are constructed so as to be uniformly extensible longitudinally throughout their width; and that the seam is of a type that will permit the engaged portions of the band to expand without material restriction.

While the invention is particularly suitable for use with elastic bands of the braided or warp knitted type indicated, certain features thereof are not limited to such a construction. For instance, the longitudinal ridges may be produced in other ways than by longitudinal strands. The particular proportions, arrangement and method of sewing may be substantially varied from that above set forth, and various braiding and warp knitting patterns may be used. The word garment is used as synonymous with article of wearing apparel and similar expressions.

We claim:

1. A fabric band of uniform expansibility comprising longitudinal and transverse strands and having a relatively thinner marginal portion formed with transverse strands of lesser diameter than the transverse strands in the remainder of the band and provided with longitudinal strands forming a needle track portion.

2. A fabric band of uniform expansibility comprising longitudinal strands and transverse strands, said band having a relatively thinner marginal portion formed with transverse strands of smaller diameter than the transverse strands in the remainder of the band, said transverse strands of smaller diameter cooperating with certain of said longitudinal strands to form a needle track and extending only across the thinner marginal portion.

3. A self-guiding fabric band having a relatively thinner marginal portion including a plurality of parallel longitudinal rubber strands defining, intermediate seaming zones, said zone fcrming paths for needles of a multiple needle sewing machine operating in the seaming zones, arranged to maintain alignment with the needles in said zones by lateral engagement of the rubberstrands with said needles.

CONRAD J. BUSCH. QTTO EUGENE HUBER.

Other details 

